We often add sorrow to our blessings, but we should not because: “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.” Proverbs 10:22 These “blessings” are upon the head of the righteous as spoken in Proverbs 10:6. They are augmented with no “pangs” of grief, no cuttings or wounds. Yes, these “adorings” of God, these deep soul thanksgivings, these praise evokings, are without painful regrets, feelings of deceit, cautions of being cheated, or suspicions of fraud. There is no distortion, violation of rights, or irreverent treatment; as “violence” is on the mouth of those who receive unjust gain. Their mouths are well concealed as their intents are also — but the mouth of the righteous is a well of life, and his lips feed many. Proverbs 10:11 and 21 “The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver.” Proverbs 10:20 So, In John’s gospel we…
Category: <span>Easter</span>
So, not worthy, so unworthy, we are made worthy (…God the Father, who has enlightened us and made us worthy partakers of the inheritance of the saints…). Colossians 1:12. Lamsa translation. Unworthiness is defined, “ lacking in excellence or value, not meritorious, not deserved, inappropriate to one’s condition or station” – merriam-webster The problem of unworthiness has been tackled by many a well-meaning therapist, who offer a re-teaching, chipping away at, working through approach. However, even in visiting childhood’s ‘unfortunate but nonetheless forming events and words,’ presupposed in this visit is something not Biblical: that somehow we were seeing ourselves as worthy, but lost it, and not of our own fault, most of the time. Precious souls, our unworthiness is entrenched in the depths of an old sin nature, which has not just stigmatized us, falsely identified us, or named us wrongly, but has called us correctly; unworthy, unworthy, unworthy! Unworthy cannot morph into…
I’m so glad, He saved my weary and wayward soul! I will go to heaven one day, because He came to earth and died. Through His blood poured out, I was washed. Some folks feel He came to give us a second chance. Sorry, that would not be enough for me because I am a hopeless sinner. A second chance would imply that I could change myself; I could not. I write with thanksgiving deep in my heart, but many do not have this. They are still trying hard, religiously dedicated. They feel that some day their fervency will measure up to a reward from God. It will not. More honest are the drunks, addicts, and prostitutes; they are closer to the kingdom. But will they come to God for cleansing in His blood? If not they will die in their sins. A third group have adopted one of many…
My childhood highlighted Easter. Not as ecstatic as Christmas, but carrying its own mixture of excitement, Easter differed from Christmas, much like death opposes birth, accentuating two poles of a man’s existence. Indeed, all the candy and gifts were affected by those Bible stories, most importantly, the one of cruel death. Memories include the emotions and guilt which filled my Childhood as I longed for release. Christmas gave a few days of solace, but Easter did not. The pre-Easter season of Lent featured the imposed fast– abstaining from certain pleasures. It was not yet a voluntary give-up for me. It lasted 40 days. Following that came the hideous picture of suffering death — we didn’t know how much blame we were supposed to assume, but we were told our sins were the reason for Jesus’ death. The Resurrection story did little to undo that mental pain — a basket full of…
In Paul’s “Romans” letter we delight in a plethora of plenty, an Easter basket of colors, a bounty of beautiful treats, a bundle of love. First, a plethora of plenty; We have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. by faith we stand in Grace. Second, an Easter basket of colors; While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. Third, a bounty of beautiful treats; The gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounds to the many, The free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. By the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness we reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Fourth, a bundle of…
Not she with traitorous kiss her Master stung, Not she denied Him with unfaithful tongue; She, when Apostles fled, could dangers brave, Last at the Cross, and earliest at the grave. Author unknown …Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. …throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene… The bravest of all, Mary stayed, not caring for her life in garden, cross, and grave. THE RISEN ONE Until his final hour he had never refused her anything or turned away, lest she should turn their love to public praise. Now she sank down beside the cross, disguised, heavy with the largest stones of love like jewels in the cover of her pain. But later, when she came…
When a balloon bursts it lays flat but first it shoots as a rocket. Air escaping propels it horizontally till finally the balloon lays dead. Shape, buoyancy and bright color gone; a major tear shows apparent. Air will never re-inflate this bag of latex again. Is this a valid life-metaphor? A sharp pointed devise does the bursting. A harsh word? — Derogatory remark? — Evil report or unwanted news? Our hearts grimace, but not air-borne — rather toward people, circumstances, any avenue to blame or receive consolation. “Help, I’m going down quickly.” “People with broken hearts have one thing in common—having expectations of other people. Having expectations of how someone else is supposed to act, feel, think, speak and behave. If you never want to experience a broken heart, eliminate all expectations from your relationships.”” Norrington… Truth, but a stoic existence is healing? — where’s the hope? “Part of the pain of a…
Can we become someone else? Yes and no. We can change names, thoughts, even chemical identities, yet;Can we discard old DNA, and then find new? The writer of a Psalm says, “My substance (DNA?) was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:15-16. Perhaps a key lies with the words, “Thine eyes.” When God sees, it is in omniscience. His “seeing us” is what makes us somebody. If I exist in the mind of God, I truly exist. I’m in a book written. If I do not exist in His mind, can I still exist? No, or–only in hell-likeness. Would we agree? Maybe an…
Parliament on the River On Easter comes Resurrection, although, the day may bring to a close an unimaginable period of pain in hardship, dying, burial. These are the extremes, the unexpected, the unexplained which lead up; the stuff which perplexes, shames, incapacitates. These take the limelight away from all former challenges of any sort; they ravage the mind, annihilate the soul, blow out of the proverbial water, and throw for a total loop. Have we seen them? They are not every day occurrences but may have found us. Our prayer is for God’s delicate help when it happens. Speaking hypothetically, prior to undergoing deep present distresses, life for most had a certain capacity, a confident bent, a sure system, a reliable set of rules, and a precise level of weightiness. This private, methodical, safety-network involved and normalized our coping with stress, our adapting to situations, our equilibrium protecting, our buoyancy…
When a loved one dies, immediately impressed upon the survivors are many things. awakened is the sense that life can be interrupted abruptly . the awakening of a higher truth is divulged. awakened to resentment at the crassness of people’s handling of your loved one’s passing. More than just superficially acknowledged, these new awakenings are circulated in the collection of soul depth. In every man exists a repository for the efficient operation of simple believing. Impulse, impression, and projection are ideas associated with this place. Things are conceived here and thoughts take on form from what is in there. This area of the brain operates involuntarily and has no moral filters. It can be called “unconscious.” Notion, perception, conception, modeling and theory work here. They fight to exist as one hypothesis may contradict another. What dominates in this belief emporium are those concepts that combine to form a system, a harmony, a…